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2.
This presentation has been adapted from the
original slides for WEB purposes. It is a
presentation of a theory paper. Therefore, there
is considerably more text on these slides in order
to communicate the content fully.
Essay separately downloadable from
http://richardhemming.wordpress.com/
All content on the following pages is displayed under the ownership of Richard Hemming unless quoted or stated.

6.
a c o u s t i c e c o l o g y
As urbanization and all of its resultant
characteristics develop, more people, more cities,
more technology. A sense of a denser world
context and environment are emanated. With this
trend it is suggestive of more elements and is
subject, therefore, to more sound, denser sonic
environments. Is it an uncontrollable trend of the
21 st c e n t u r y, a n o i s e m e l e e , o r s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s
usable in creative appropriation? A progression
from a quieter existence, where less sound was
being generated, into a concentrated, thicker,
noisier existence. French theorist and economist
Attali defines noise as:
“A noise is a resonance that interferes
with the audition of a message in the
process of emission].[It is any disruption
of any social process, any source of pain.
At the extreme (extreme volume, for
instance), it kills (Attali, 1985 pg26).”

9.
a c o u s t i c e c o l o g y
Although Schafer coined the term that
specifically focuses on our acoustic ecology
recently, our sonic environment has been under
philosophical investigation for centuries.
Pythagorean philosophy demonstrates this through
the teachings of “Music of the Spheres” showing
early consideration into sonic surroundings,
modes of listening, encouraging an appreciation
of ones surrounding, as all empyrean bodies are a
form of music. Early suggestions that all sound
being in our environment is an element of music
and an utterance that it is a universal continual
composition, noise that should be considered for
composition, or, is already a composition of
music in itself.
“Music of the Spheres”

10.
phenomenology
Pythagoras also introduced the
theory of “Pythagoras’s curtain”.
This is another important
realization bringing focus onto
sound matter and material,
subject and object origination in
our environment. Relating to the
philosopher Edmund Husserl's
area of Phenomenology,
discussing ‘acousmatics’ the
Larousse dictionary describes as
“a noise that one hears without
seeing what causes it” adds extra
theoretical depth to the field of
environmental sounds in
composition, to include sounds
created without intention, or
knowledge of where they have
originated, expanding the
universal sonic palette.

11.
phenomenology
Founder of ‘Musique Concrete’
Pierre Schaeffer,
Founder of ‘Musique Concrete’ Pierre
Schaeffer, follower of Husserl and
Pythagoras, solidifies theories of
environmental sonic palettes for sounds or
‘objets sonores’ (as described by Schaeffer)
as being part of composition by basing his
entire works of on this ideology. Encouraging
a creative positive element with this palette
describing compositional techniques need to
contain ‘Jeu’, the French for ‘Play’ defined
in English as ‘to enjoy oneself by interacting
in ones surroundings”.

12.
The work of Spanish sound artist and
entomologist Francisco Lopez (in his
works ‘La Selva’, sound recordings in
fieldwork based in South American
rainforests) also encourages us to take in
our sound environment as a whole, further
confirming this environment as a
compositional tool.
Further confirmation of acoustic ecology, as an
element of composition, a tool or referent, is
composer and founder of ambient music Brian
Eno. He tries to emulate acoustic environments
in ambient composition by describing it as
“music in a different way – as part of the
ambience of our lives- and we wanted it to be
continuous, a surrounding (Eno cited in Cox
a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 9 4 ) ” . E n o u s e s t h e g e n r e o f
ambient music to enhance our acoustic
environments and create notions of immersion.

13.
John Cage furthers this discussion of the use of
noise and its relation to composition and music.
His beliefs were that there is no noise, only sound,
and that music is merely organized sound.
Discussing the way this affects us in our acoustic
ecology by quoting:
“I believe that the use of noise, wherever we are,
what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it
disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it
f a s c i n a t i n g ( C a g e c i t e d i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4
pg25).”
Jacques Attali also solidifies the notion of
sounds and noise and their inclusion in music
by advising, “listening to music is listening
to all noise (Atalli, 1985 pg7)”.
Discussing the theorists and composers above
legitimizes the use of all sound in our
environments to be considered for creative
inclusion in composition. Therefore, all of
our acoustic ecology is a potential
compositional piece or tool.
The discussions from Attali of noise and
elements of control move toward acoustic
ecology and its affect on society

15.
s o c i o l o g i c a l s h i f t
German composer and philosopher
T h e o d o r e W. A d o r n o , r a t h e r t h a n
the previous theoretically
dominated visual culture of the
western world, does not support a
shift toward an auditory level.
He is negative toward Mcluhan’s
observation as he states:
“One might say that to
react with the ear, which
is fundamentally a passive
organ in contrast to the
swift, actively selective
eye, is in a sense not in
keeping with the present
advanced industrial age
and its cultural
anthropology (Adorno cited
i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4
pg74).”

17.
s o c i o l o g i c a l s h i f t
Mcluhan and Adorno
are discussing the
distinctions between
sight and hearing in a
physical and
sociological sense,
Roman philosopher
born in 106BC Marcus
Cicero invalidates the
separation when
discussing “Sensus
Communis” a
culmination of all
senses, seeing,
hearing, smelling,
touching and tasting,
no distinctions in
early society.

18.
s o c i o l o g i c a l s h i f t
Attali communicates that by observing
music and sound in our society it acts
as a m irror to the current sociological
organi zation.
“Music].[It is a mirr or for its
organization resembl es the
current organization of our
society: music is “a repository
of].[the social score (Attali
1985 pg9).”

19.
Owing to rise of genres such as Musique
Concrete, Schafer coining the term acoustic
ecology, and ongoing philosophical debate
about sound, noise, and music in society.
Attali's theories demonstrate that Mcluhan is
right to state we have shifted toward a more
auditory existence. Attali, through this
theoretical mirror is answering the debate in
shift between visual and auditory culture.
This is supported by emerging compositions
from Pierre Schaeffer, John Cage, and
Francisco Lopez (plus many others). The
theories coupled with emerging works from
discussed composers communicates that we
are in new sociological, philosophical and
compositional areas.

21.
technological effect of recording
acousmatics & reduced listening
A ‘reduced
listening’ where
the sonorous
object has its’
own existence,
where you can
listen to the
objects
themselves.
R E P E AT E D
SOUND
LISTENING TO
BEFORE REC A C O U S M AT I C S P L AY
OBJECT
RECORDING
ITSELF

22.
technological effect
Pierre Schaeffer believed that recording exacerbated
Phenemological theory, describing experience without
reference to the source or object. With sound and
recording in a phenomelogical sense Schaeffer
describes that sounds have been turned into sonorous
objects, and new modes of listening are engineered. A
‘reduced listening’ where the sonorous object has its’
own existence, where you can listen to the objects
themselves. A reduced signal from the source,
epitomizing the theory of ‘acousmatics’, these signals
and sonorous objects are subject to multiple
variations or ‘prise de son’ and recording presents the
variations, there are many ways that we can record an
object and this affects how we hear or ‘ecoute’ that
object. Recording to tape means the sonorous object
is not the tape itself it is merely a sonorous support
of an acoustic signal (Schaeffer cited in Cox and
Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 7 6 - 7 8 ) . S c h a e ff e r a c o u s t i c e c o l o g y,
relationship with his sonic surroundings feels as if
enhanced owing to the technology of recording.

23.
technological effect
Francisco Lopez in La Selva recordings pushes
the theory further by discussing that in a
rainforest a bird calls and that sound no longer
belongs to the bird once produced. If the
sound is recorded then this is another step in
its transformation from the original signal,
different microphones ‘hear’ in different ways
and then digital techniques in editing
reproduces this, giving a hyper-real or unreal
sound version of a natural sound (Lopez cited
i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 8 2 - 8 7 ) . A l t h o u g h
ironically Lopez is aiming to record natural
sounds in his acoustic ecology the
technological affect upon his process as he
describes have created a need for another level
of theoretical understanding. Recording our
sonic environment with technological advances
has adjusted theory of modes of listening and
acoustic ecology.
Brian Eno looks at recording technology as a
new compositional technique, a method a
observing or creating new textures of sound,
m u c h l i k e P. S c h a e f f e r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n s o f b e i n g
able to ‘listen to the object themselves’,
expanding the sonic palette for composition.
With that step, Eno felt electronic virtual
spaces could be engineered and this in turn
aided his task in ambient music of creating
music to enhance environment. Recording
technology has also changed Eno's relationship
with his sonic environment and compositional
techniques.

29.
In Heideggerian terms, technology being an
extension of man, an extension of our
i n d i v i d u a l b o d i e s , t h e Wa l k m a n c o n t r i b u t e s
to the prosthetic extension of mobile
bodies. This prosthesis is exacerbated by
the physical connection of the technology to
the user through the headphones. This part
of the invention is the area that creates the
new acoustic ecology, not necessarily the
functionality of the unit itself but the
immersivity and exclusion of one self from
ones acoustic surroundings. This almost is
indicative of a meditative state a heighten
s t a t e a c h i e v e d i n N a d a Yo g a ;
“Interiorized sound (vibration)
removes the individual from this
world and elevates him toward higher
spheres of existence (Schafer cited
i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 3 5 ) . ”
It is as if in headphones you are the sphere,
connected to the universe and has utterances
of Pythagoras Music of the Spheres. Sounds
in headphones are more direct than taking in
an aural environment; they create a
different sense of acoustic ecology with the
auditory information. Schafer describes this
difference by quoting:
“Sounds emanate from points inside
the cranium itself, as if the
archetypes of the unconscious are in
conversation (Schafer cited in Cox
a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 3 5 ) . ”

30.
technological effect
Schafer discusses hear how the headphone
phenomena creates an unusual ‘headspace’, never
experienced before from external auditory
environments, and how this has effect on the
mind. How the users minds perceive those sounds
and environment, a change in their acoustic
ecology and expansion on theoretical discussions
are needed. The headphone and walkman
generation has evolved acoustic ecology,
expanded upon existing philosophy, created
another level of auditory perception and
encouraged an immersive nature inside ones
mind, in control of ones own compositions,
s h u t t i n g o u t t h e e x i s t i n g 2 1 st c e n t u r y a c o u s t i c
environment, perhaps perceived as noise,
uncontrollable, controlled through this
technology.
The headphone phenomena in conjunction with
the discussion of acoustic ecology and whether
o u r 2 1 st c e n t u r y s o n i c e n v i r o n m e n t i s n o i s e o r a
composition itself, have led us to perception,
how the listener perceives this environment.
Some wear headphones and others don’t creating
variations in modes of listening in a physical
sense, a theoretical sense and an interpretative
sense.

31.
hermeneutics
The study of interpretation theory
Music theorist Ola Stockfelt discuses this interpretive notion
hermeneutics, in conjunction with soundscapes, background music and
listening.
“Symphony that in the concert hall or on earphones can give an
autonomous intramusical experience, tunings ones mood to the
highest tension and shutting out the rest of the world, may in
the café give the same listeners a mildly pleasant, relaxed
separation from the noise on the street].[In this way, the
situation one encounters the music conditions the music itself
( S t o c k f e l t c i t e d i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 8 9 ) . ”
Stockfelt discusses the context affecting the interpretation of the
music and environmental context affecting acoustic ecology, however,
the conditioning of the music itself, irrespective of the environment,
must come down to an individual level of perception. That ones mode
of listening is linked to ones competence of listening. Listening with
intention, to decipher on an individual level whether noise or music,
composition or dissonant melee.
Lopez considers this to be ‘profound listening’,
immersion inside sound matter and states:
“Music is an aesthetic, perception,
understanding and conception of sound. Its our
decision-subjective, intentional, non universal,
not necessarily permanent (Lopez cited in Cox
a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 8 7 ) ”

32.
hermeneutics
This notion of perception and variance of
receiving auditory information has utterances of
Epistemology from German philosopher Emmanuel
Kant, the theory of ‘a priori (knowledge gained
from the former) and a posteriori (from the
latter). Suggestive that an educated ear in areas
of composition, sound, soundscapes acoustic
ecology, hermeneutics and philosophy linked to
audio culture will perceive an acoustic
environment differently to an uneducated,
unaware individual.
Pierre Schaeffer confirms this theory further by
discussing ‘seule l’ecoute d’un auditeur’, only the
listening of a listener can determine it. B y this
understanding a dog a Martian or a child could not
p e r c e i v e w h e t h e r a c o u s t i c e c o l o g y i n t h e 2 1 st
century were dissonant noise or an indeterminate
composition as the intellectual arsenal to achieve
the latter is non existent. Schaeffer further
confirms this by stating that:
“Therefore, the sonorous object (is not the tape
itself, in terms of recording) is contained in our
c o n s c i o u s ( S c h a f e r c i t e d i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4
pg35)

33.
A ‘reduced
listening’ where the
sonorous object has
its’ own existence,
where you can listen
to the objects
themselves.
Epistemology from
German philosopher
Emmanuel Kant, the
theory of ‘a priori
(knowledge gained from
the former) and a
posteriori (from the
latter).
HERMENEUTICS
Consciousness
‘seule l’ecoute d’un auditeur’
“Therefore, the sonorous
object (is not the tape
itself, in terms of
recording) is contained in
our conscious (Schafer
c i t e d i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r,
2004 pg35).”

34.
Conclusion
In conclusion one can discuss acoustic ecology
through observation of sounds, noise, soundscapes
and aural environments, through theorists,
philosophers and composers. One can observe these
teachings in conjunction with sociological contexts
in terms of auditory perception, visual and aural
cultural trends in society. Combining this further
k n o w l e d g e w i t h t h e t e c h n o l o g i c a l i m p a c t o f 2 1 st
century western culture, to determine whether our
current acoustic ecology is one of uncontrollable
dissonance and noise, or whether, in fact it is an
indeterminate constant environmental composition in
itself. However, fundamentally this decision of noise
or composition is at a level of perception on the
individual, hermeneutics and epistemological
decision, determined in our consciousness, by our
levels of understanding and knowledge of auditory
information.
Ultimately as Mark Slouka quotes:
“One mans music, is another mans noise
( S l o u k a c i t e d i n C o x a n d Wa r n e r, 2 0 0 4 p g 4 0 ) . ”